Cleaning Cauldrons
by Delphiniumrose
Summary: Hermione needs this detention. It's her last chance. AU, oneshot.


_A/N: This isn't my usual style, buuuut I thought I would try something new and see how it goes. Let me know?_

"Miss Granger, if you do not stop this incessant hand raising you'll have the pleasure of spending your Friday evening cleaning cauldrons, do you understand?" Snape drawled, unimpressed as usual at the girls display.

On any normal day this would have deterred her slightly but not today, for Hermione had a plan. She had been vying for the attention of a certain boy for weeks now and she was at the end of her rope. Detention sounded like the perfect way to catch his eye.

Her hand flew up in the air.

Snape's eyes bulged. She swore the vein in his forehead was on the verge of exploding. He took a deep breathe and the class froze, waiting for the impending explosion.

"7pm. Don't be late." He said icily, visibly holding himself back. "And 15 points from Gryffindor!"

With that, the class was dismissed and he swept his way from the room, muttering under his breath.

Harry and Ron look at Hermione in shock.

"Why would you do that 'Mione?" Ron whined.

"None of your business Ronald."

Harry just looked at her and shrugged, figuring she had her own reasons. Hermione was nothing if not logical and if she'd gotten a detention intentionally who was he to stand in the way of something that was obviously part of a greater scheme.

Hermione arrived at Snape's classroom early, as per usual and looked around in disappointment. If he wasn't here, this would all have been for nought. She shuddered at the thought of marring her perfect record for no reason. She made a face and the thought and walked into the room, where a note on the board explained what she was expected to do.

Five minutes into her task, the door flew open and she almost fell into the cauldron she was cleaning. Hermione let out a squeak and turned on the intruder, wand raised.

A red headed intruder who's expression was flicking between amusement and shock at finding the well behaved prefect doing what he had come to think of as his weekly chore.

"Hermione?"

"Yes, Fred?"

"What are you doing here?" He asked cautiously, scared to wake the angry she-devil he had seen unleashed on Ron more than once.

"Well..." She flushed, looking away from him.

The silence stretched for longer than was comfortable and he wasn't quite sure why. He'd never had a problem talking to her before but with the colour in her cheeks she looked rather lovely. Fred mentally slapped himself at the thought.

"Let me guess, you wanted to spend some alone time with one of the wonderful Weasley twins?" He said with a wink, sitting on the desk in front of her.

He watched her face drop at his teasing tone and his eyes widened. No way...

Hermione stood up and rushed toward the door but Fred's quidditch enhanced reflexes meant her beat her to it (a/n: haha get, cause he's a beater? I am terrible today) and he blocked her way.

"Fred I swear to Merlin if you don't get out of my way I'll hex you into next week!"

He looked warily at her raised wand and quickly ran through the options.

1\. He moved, Hermione ran off and he never got to find out what else made her blush such a delicious shade of pink. Yeah, scratch that one off.

2\. He tried to reason with her, she hexed the crap out of him then they were back to reason 1, plus some sort of horrible disfigurement that would no doubt land him in the hospital wing. Bloody hell, these options were getting worse.

Or option 3. Which could either go remarkably well or end in option 2. Worth a shot, he thought, grinning. He looked down at the irate witch who's own nerves seemed to make her even angrier. Fantastic.

Fred grabbed her arm (making sure it was the one not holding the wand, no need for accidental curse today, thank you very much) and pulled her close. Hermione's eyes widened and just as she was about to open her mouth, he leant down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

He wasn't entirely sure what reaction he'd been expecting but it wasn't what he got.

Hermione wound her hands in his hair and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. He barely stopped himself from moaning at her actions. Where the bloody hell had this come from? Deciding not to question it further, he responded in kind, backing Hermione against the door and proceeding to kiss his way down her neck. She let out a soft moan and he pulled away, gasping for air.

She felt tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. Of course he hadn't actually wanted her. Hermione turned to go.

"Hermione - Mione! Don't go!" He said desperately, holding her hostage in his arms. There was no way he was letting this bewitching young lady loose, who knew what would happen if someone else got their hands on her

"Why did you stop?" She asked sadly. "Am I really that unattractive?"

It was Fred's turn to blush. Unfortunately, that clashed horribly with his hair. Hermione almost let out a giggle at the unusual sight of Fred Weasley blushing. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen such a thing.

"I, uh. Well, that is, I didn't particularly want to - you know - get to carried away."

Hermione couldn't help it. Once she started laughing there was no stopping her and soon enough even Fred couldn't help but smile, if only at how alive she looked as her eyes lit up with happiness.

"Also, if you ever call yourself unattractive again, I may have to think up a way to punish you appropriately." He whispered, his breath on her neck and his earlier embarrassment replaced with a sly smirk that gave her a whole new set of things to worry about.

Hermione smiled. She had a feeling whatever he came up with would be far more fun than cleaning cauldrons.


End file.
